[ad_1]
NEW DELHI: Even about a week after the West Bengal panchayat election, the BJP has continued to demand a statement from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the poll-related violence while also hitting out at the ruling TMC calling chief minister Mamata Banerjee-led government as “misrule”.
BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya on Friday hit out at Rahul for not commenting on the violence during the West Bengal panchayat election.
He said in a tweet, “What will it take for Rahul Gandhi to speak on the ghastly violence seen during West Bengal panchayat polls? The death toll is touching 50, and includes people from his party too. He is turning out to be quite a coward, who does not even commiserate with the families of dead Congress workers, for fear of being spanked by Mamata Banerjee.”
Bengal witnessed large-scale violence since June 8 when the State Election Commission (SEC) announced the schedule for the state panchayat election which was held on July 8. Violence killing several people took place even during counting of votes on July 11.
Besides the BJP, the other opposition parties such as the Congress and CPM have accused the ruling TMC of leashing violence in the state during the recently-concluded panchayat election in the state.
The BJP appointed a four-member fact-finding team to visit West Bengal and inquire into the violence that marked the panchayat elections. The team, led by the former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, has been touring the state for the last two days.
Prasad on Friday accused the ruling TMC of unleashing a reign of terror after the West Bengal panchayat polls, stating that the misrule of TMC exceeded that of the previous Left government in the state.
Prasad, who was touring Cooch Behar – one of the most violence-hit districts of the state — said the cycle of violence must end.
He said, “Is this a sign of democracy? So many people have been killed and rendered homeless in post-poll violence. The misrule of TMC has surpassed the limits of all forms of misrule and tyranny that was once identified with the erstwhile Left Front regime in the state.”
Slamming the state administration for failing to protect cadres and supporters of opposition parties, he said, “Does voting for other political parties result in receiving bullets in Bengal.”
“In a democracy, everyone has the right to vote freely and fairly. But does that mean that those voting for opposition parties or supporting them will end up receiving a bullet or being rendered homeless?” he said.
Several senior BJP leaders have been demanding the imposition of Article 355 in the state, citing the killings of more than 38 people during the rural poll process since last month.
Mamata claimed that 19 people, mostly from her TMC, died in poll-related violence. Police sources, however, have put the number of fatalities at 38 but agree that at least 60 per cent of those who lost their lives were affiliated with the TMC.
Meanwhile, senior TMC minister Shashi Panja, along with party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, visited Nandigram to meet the party cadres, who have been facing the wrath of the opposition BJP, which had won the gram panchayat seats in the symbolic constituency.
“The BJP is talking about violence. But the party has unleashed violence in the state and parts of Nandigram. A woman activist of TMC was tied up with a tree and beaten up by BJP goons,” she said.
Ghosh was seen organising a sit-in in Nandigram, demanding immediate arrest of the culprits.
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee went to SSKM to meet the injured from Nandigram who had been admitted there.
(With inputs from agencies)
BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya on Friday hit out at Rahul for not commenting on the violence during the West Bengal panchayat election.
He said in a tweet, “What will it take for Rahul Gandhi to speak on the ghastly violence seen during West Bengal panchayat polls? The death toll is touching 50, and includes people from his party too. He is turning out to be quite a coward, who does not even commiserate with the families of dead Congress workers, for fear of being spanked by Mamata Banerjee.”
Bengal witnessed large-scale violence since June 8 when the State Election Commission (SEC) announced the schedule for the state panchayat election which was held on July 8. Violence killing several people took place even during counting of votes on July 11.
Besides the BJP, the other opposition parties such as the Congress and CPM have accused the ruling TMC of leashing violence in the state during the recently-concluded panchayat election in the state.
The BJP appointed a four-member fact-finding team to visit West Bengal and inquire into the violence that marked the panchayat elections. The team, led by the former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, has been touring the state for the last two days.
Prasad on Friday accused the ruling TMC of unleashing a reign of terror after the West Bengal panchayat polls, stating that the misrule of TMC exceeded that of the previous Left government in the state.
Prasad, who was touring Cooch Behar – one of the most violence-hit districts of the state — said the cycle of violence must end.
He said, “Is this a sign of democracy? So many people have been killed and rendered homeless in post-poll violence. The misrule of TMC has surpassed the limits of all forms of misrule and tyranny that was once identified with the erstwhile Left Front regime in the state.”
Slamming the state administration for failing to protect cadres and supporters of opposition parties, he said, “Does voting for other political parties result in receiving bullets in Bengal.”
“In a democracy, everyone has the right to vote freely and fairly. But does that mean that those voting for opposition parties or supporting them will end up receiving a bullet or being rendered homeless?” he said.
Several senior BJP leaders have been demanding the imposition of Article 355 in the state, citing the killings of more than 38 people during the rural poll process since last month.
Mamata claimed that 19 people, mostly from her TMC, died in poll-related violence. Police sources, however, have put the number of fatalities at 38 but agree that at least 60 per cent of those who lost their lives were affiliated with the TMC.
Meanwhile, senior TMC minister Shashi Panja, along with party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, visited Nandigram to meet the party cadres, who have been facing the wrath of the opposition BJP, which had won the gram panchayat seats in the symbolic constituency.
“The BJP is talking about violence. But the party has unleashed violence in the state and parts of Nandigram. A woman activist of TMC was tied up with a tree and beaten up by BJP goons,” she said.
Ghosh was seen organising a sit-in in Nandigram, demanding immediate arrest of the culprits.
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee went to SSKM to meet the injured from Nandigram who had been admitted there.
(With inputs from agencies)
[ad_2]
Source link
More Stories
Congress replaces Kamal Nath, names an OBC as Madhya Pradesh chief | India News
Fire breaks out in ITBP camp in Srinagar; none hurt | India News
Parliament Security: Co-villagers give clean chit to Lalit Jha, parents to move court | India News